Dialogue of the Wind and Sea
by wildcat7898
Summary: Five months after Uhura is reassigned to the Lexington, she and Spock take Saavik to the beach on Relan Four. This is part 3 of "Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite." It follows "The Isle of Joy."
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite 3, Dialogue of the Wind and Sea

Author: Wildcat

Series: TOS

Rating: M

Codes: S/U, Saavik

Summary: Five months after Uhura is reassigned to the Lexington, she and Spock take Saavik to the beach on Relan Four. This takes place after the events described in the following stories:

A Woman's Touch

The Taste of Snow

Almost a Kiss

You Would Even Say She Glows

The Flame Within

Fire, Wind, and Water 1: What the West Wind Saw

Fire, Wind, and Water 2: The Isle of Joy

Note that this is part three of Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, and company. I have just borrowed them for a while, and I will not profit from any of this.

Thanks to Claude Debussy for his piano composition, "Dialogue du vent et de la mer" from which the title was taken.

Also, thanks as always to my beta readers, Jungle Kitty and ebonbird.

"Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite won 1st place for "Best S/U Story," 3rd place for "Best TOS Story" and Honorable Mention for "Best Overall Story" in the 1998 Golden O Awards. This particular story also tied with "What the West Wind Saw" for 1st place "Spock Romance" in the 1998 ASC Awards.

Feedback is desired.

Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, chapter 1

"Spock! Nyota! LOOK!"

Forgetting that she was twelve years old and therefore too big to act like a child, Saavik bounded over the small row of scrubby bushes and ran out onto the sand. It was incredible! Everything was so bright, everywhere she looked. The sand was a bleached white, broken only here and there by odd little spiky plants, and it stretched as far as she could see to the left, and as far as she could see to the right. In front of her, an intimidating expanse of water sparkled in the sun, a living, churning beast, each wave a ripple that grew into a huge, roaring shimmer before it collapsed onto the beach. And the sky—she had never seen such a vivid shade of purple, and she wanted to chase away the single small cloud that drifted overhead so that the purity of color would be completely unspoiled.

She kicked off her shoes without breaking stride and ran until she felt the fine substance between her toes change from a shifting, dry warmth to a solid coolness. When she reached the very edge of the water, close enough to feel the spray but not so close that she would actually get wet, she turned and looked back up at the little beach house.

"You must come out here!" she shouted over the noise of the ocean. "Now!"

From behind the rented flitter, Nyota waved and called out, "We'll be there in a minute, Saavik! Just give us a few minutes to unload our things."

Saavik put her hands on her hips. "You do not need to unload our things. We will have the rest of the day to unload our things. Come out here with me!"

She watched as Nyota exchanged words with Spock. She couldn't hear them, but Spock nodded, and a moment later Nyota removed her shoes and trotted across the sand in her direction. Spock followed, but he did not remove his boots, and he did not move so quickly.

Nyota reached her first. "Isn't this wonderful, Saavik?"

"It is! This beach is much better than the beach in Hawaii. We are almost the only people here! And there are no big buildings, either."

Nyota looked out over the water. "That's one of the reasons I chose Relan Four. There may not be a lot of other things to do, but the beach is so beautiful and unspoiled that we don't need anything else to do. We'll just stay right here for three days!"

Spock walked up behind Nyota. "Am I to assume that this meets with your approval, Saavikam?" he asked.

"Yes! It is perfect. Come, let us walk on the beach. Do you think we will find any seashells?"

Not waiting to confirm that the adults were following her, Saavik set off at a brisk pace. The waves looked bigger farther down the beach. Perhaps that was where the best seashells would be!

...

Uhura unloaded the carton of supplies as she watched Saavik through the window. The little girl was still searching for shells, and she had rolled up her pants so that she could wade out into the water. She'd been a little uncertain about the unpredictable wetness at first, but she was progressively becoming more brave.

Spock came in the door with the last of their luggage, and Uhura looked at him across the countertop that separated the kitchen from the rest of the room. "She's having such a great time," she said. "This is going to be a good weekend."

"I agree. You did an excellent job with the arrangements."

"Thanks."

He vanished up the steps with the suitcases, and she turned back toward the window just as Saavik was caught off-guard by a large wave. Uhura laughed at her expression. Determined to pick up whatever it was she had seen, she knocked a droplet of water off her nose, tightened her lips, and ducked down to try again.

A moment later, Uhura heard Spock come back down the stairs. She took one more quick glance out the window, then met him in the middle of the room.

Spreading her fingers on his chest, she murmured, "You know, I haven't had a chance yet to give you a proper hello."

He rested his hands lightly on her lower back. "It seems that this might be an opportune time for you to greet me in a more befitting-"

Sliding her hands up into his hair, she pulled his head down and silenced him with a deep, searching kiss. She had missed him so dreadfully in the long month since their last brief meeting, and she let the pressure of her lips and the arching movement of her body tell him what mere words could not. Although he was surprised by the suddenness of her actions, he quickly recovered, pulling her tightly against him and running his hands across her back.

Eventually, she released him. "There. That's better," she said huskily.

"It is my opinion that our greeting was still lacking in, shall we say, 'depth'? Perhaps we can remedy that later."

"Oh, definitely." Smiling, she sauntered back into the kitchen. "For now, though, we have some unpacking to do. Would you help me with this?"

"Of course."

His voice was still somewhat rough, and she chuckled when he cleared his throat before joining her. Opening the cabinets in search of a bowl for the fruit, she said, "I haven't asked yet how Saavik did on her flight. Do you know if she had any problems?"

He reached over her head for the bowl, which happened to be on the very top shelf. "From all indications, she did very well, but I am not certain I would say the same for the flight attendant who was tasked with ensuring that she arrived safely at her destination. He appeared rather relieved to turn her over to my care at the Sarellian spaceport."

"I'm sure she was a bundle of energy and excited questions."

"No doubt."

"I wish that I could have traveled with her for at least part of the journey. Believe me, waiting by myself at the Relan spaceport was excruciating. I was never so happy as when I saw the two of you walk through that gate."

"I believe that I can speak for Saavik when I say that we were most pleased to see you, as well."

They were interrupted by the sound of tumultuous footsteps pounding up the wooden stairs at the side of the house. Saavik burst through the door and ran into the kitchen.

"Look what I found!" she exclaimed breathlessly.

She held a small, perfectly formed shell of a pale yellow color, with a thin red stripe that coiled around the delicate spiral.

"It's beautiful, Saavik! I can't believe you already found something like that. Just think what we'll find if we get up early in the morning before anyone else." Uhura reached back into the cabinet for the basket she'd seen earlier. "Why don't you take this into your room? You can begin a collection."

"Yes! I will do that!"

Saavik grabbed the basket and dashed through the living area to the sunny room that looked out over the ocean. Spock had commented earlier on the fact that Saavik's room and the deck above it had obviously been later additions, but Uhura couldn't imagine this little house without those two features. They were the best things about it.

Moving close to Uhura, Spock murmured, "Saavik asked me again during our flight about the nature of my relationship with you. I was able to divert her attention, but I do not wish to delay her again. She is understandably curious about the topic."

Uhura nodded. "It's time for us to talk to her. Do you want to do it right now, or would you rather wait until later?"

"I believe that she is too interested in the beach at the moment. Would you care to join her? I am willing to put away the remainder of our supplies."

"I'd love to go out there. You don't mind?"

"Not at all."

She was already halfway across the room. "All right! Tell Saavik that I'm going to change, and that I'll be right there."

Uhura flew up the stairs. Finally! She couldn't wait to get in that water.

...

Placing her basket of seashells on the low table, Saavik pushed her hair behind her ears and noted that the ends were still damp. Fascinating. It would appear that ocean water did not evaporate as quickly as she would have expected. Perhaps this was due to the high mineral content. The water certainly tasted odd. When she had finally ventured out with Nyota this evening, a huge wave had caught her in the face and knocked her down, causing her to swallow a large mouthful. The incident had been most disconcerting. Not only was the water repulsive in her mouth and sinuses, but for an agonizingly long moment she had not even known which direction was up. When she finally regained her feet, she had been mortified to realize that her fright was apparent in her expression. Looking up at the beach, however, she saw that Spock had started into the water after her even though he was fully dressed, and she understood that she was not the only person who had been alarmed.

She scooted to the edge of the sofa and bent over her small basket. Of the six shells she found today, only two were duplicates, and she was eager to determine the scientific names of the creatures who had once inhabited these tiny homes. Spock had offered her the use of his padd, which was loaded with extensive data on the flora and fauna of this planet, but she had opted instead to use the tattered paper book she found tucked away in one of the drawers in her room. Perhaps her choice was illogical, but she found the hand-drawn illustrations in the small volume quite elegant and appealing.

She was so intent on her research that she did not realize at first that Spock and Nyota had seated themselves in the chairs opposite her.

"Saavikam."

Her nose buried in the book, she replied, "Yes, Spock?"

"Please put down the book. We must talk."

Spock's tone was very serious, and when she looked over the edge of the page, she saw him meet Nyota's eyes. She quickly closed the book. Whatever this was, it was certain to be more interesting than the classification of seashells.

"Very well. What do you wish to talk about?" she asked.

His expression unreadable, he said, "Do you recall our discussions on Dantria about the various types of relationships between adults?"

She sat up straight, her heart beating faster with excitement. "Yes. Are you finally going to tell me about you and Nyota? It is about time! Are you bonded?"

Nyota darted a glance at Spock, obviously trying her best not to grin.

Taken aback, he raised both eyebrows. "No, we are not bonded."

"Are you going to get married?" Saavik asked.

Nyota's eyes were big as she looked back and forth from Spock to Saavik.

"No, Saavikam," Spock said. "We have no plans for anything of that nature."

"Are you having sex?"

"Saavikam!" He took a deep breath, then continued in a firm voice. "That is a personal question, and one that is not to be asked in polite company. It is also none of your business. What I wished to tell you is that Nyota and I are t'hy'la'ke. We have shared the flame."

"That is good! I knew that there was something between you, but I was not sure what. It certainly took you a long time to tell me." Saavik thought about it for a moment. "You should get married, you know."

Spock closed his eyes briefly.

Finally losing her battle to remain serious, Nyota laughed and came over to sit beside Saavik on the sofa. "Something like this is very private and personal, and telling people about it is a big step. Because you're so special to us, we wanted to be sure you knew."

Saavik looked over at Spock, who nodded solemnly, then back at Nyota.

"Is it a secret?"

"Mostly. Three friends have figured it out, but otherwise we've kept it quiet."

A secret! And only for her and three other people to know. "I will not tell anyone!"

Nyota patted her on the knee, then stood. "Good for you. Now, it's getting late and I think it's time for us to go put sheets on your bed." Leaning close, she whispered loudly, "And if you have any more questions, we can talk, just you and me. Girl talk."

Saavik looked over at Spock as Nyota grinned at him, and then she picked up the basket and started toward her room. "I am going to bed now. Do not listen to us, because we are going to talk, just girls! No boys."

"I quite understand. Good night, Saavikam."

"Will you look for shells with me in the morning?"

"Yes. We will ensure that we rise early."

"All right! Good night."

As she followed Nyota into the bedroom, she tried to decide what she wanted to talk about first.

End chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, chapter 2

Spock sat on the high screened-in porch and looked out over the water. Although the sun had set long ago, this planet's two moons were just beginning their slow climb into the clear black sky. The breeze was gentle, tinged with the metallic scent of the ocean, and it dusted everything with a subtle dampness. The climate was not unpleasant, however. Despite the fact that the temperature had dropped in the forty-one minutes since he had come out here, it was still sufficiently warm to provide comfort. In addition, the susurration of the waves was soothing and hypnotic, and although the notion was illogical, the passage of time had seemingly ground to a halt and left him suspended in the moment.

He glanced over his shoulder when he heard the door open behind him. Gesturing toward the empty chair by his side, he said, "Although I am hesitant to ask what you and Saavik found to discuss for so long, it seems that I cannot resist."

Nyota sat on the edge of the seat. "Don't worry. She tried very hard not to ask me anything that was too personal, and I was able to sidestep the few questions that were borderline. Mainly, she wanted to know how long we've been seeing each other and a few other details." She chuckled. "I think that she's been hanging around Rosa too long, because she asked if you were my 'one true love.'"

He regarded her for a moment. "And how did you answer that?"

Playfully slapping his arm, she said, "It was girl talk, mister! Not for boys to know." She pulled up the chair's footrest. "Somehow, we went from that into my old boyfriends, and the conversation just got more and more off-topic from there."

Spock steepled his hands and gazed at the ocean. Matching her casual tone, he said, "Old boyfriends? I regret that I missed this discussion, for I am certain it was fascinating. Did you tell her about Warren Stein? Or Heshimu Bayer?"

"What!" She sat up so quickly that her foot slipped off the edge of the chair. "How do you know about Warren Stein and Heshimu Bayer?"

"I refuse to divulge my sources." He looked at her appraisingly. "That is, unless you also share with me some of the details of your conversation with Saavik."

"Nope. Sorry." She leaned back again. "Besides, I know exactly how you know Warren Stein. He's the head of the warp physics lab at the University of Montreal, and he would have been certain to attend that seminar you went to recently. He probably found out that you were from the Enterprise and asked about me. Am I right?"

"You have deduced some of the details, but not others. For example, you do not know what he asked about you."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"Very well." He returned his attention to the ocean.

"Okay, yes, I want to know! What did he ask?"

"He asked me if you were 'available.' I believe that he is still interested in you."

She put her hand over her face. "Oh, Lord. Please tell me no."

"He seemed like a very respectable person. Of course, I told him that while I could not speak for you with certainty, I did believe you to be involved with someone."

She shook her head. "Oh, poor Warren. He's a wonderful person, but I never was interested in him that way. I'll bet he asked me out twenty times, and I never said yes." She looked back over at Spock. "And I think I just figured out how you know about Heshimu, too."

"What is your theory?"

"Uh, you tell me." She grinned. "In case I'm wrong."

He shook his head. "I believe that I will allow you to guess."

"All right. Would it have anything to do with a book?"

Amused at her attempted nonchalance, he replied, "Perhaps."

"You read the inscription inside the cover of those Shakespeare sonnets, didn't you! I knew I should have put that book away. Just remember that we were young and foolish. We thought it was romantic."

"Then it seems that I shall have to revise my perception of human romantic concepts."

Laughing again, she looked up at the moons, but her smile gradually faded. "Poor Heshimu. We had so much fun together. We were hardly more than children, but we thought we were madly in love." She took a deep breath. "One of my old friends told me about five years ago that he had taken a job as an asteroid miner and died a horrible death when a conveyor snapped, crushing him with tons of ore. It evidently happened a long time ago, but because his parents had moved away, no one heard about it."

Regretting his teasing comments, Spock watched her with concern. "I am sorry, Nyota. I did not know."

She patted his arm. "Of course you didn't. It just makes me sad to think about how someone can be so important to you at one point in your life but later completely forgotten. At the time, I literally hadn't spared a thought for Heshimu in years." She was quiet as she studied the sky. "After I heard about him, I checked up on a couple of other old flames. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it now, because you'll think that I still had a thing for them, but really I was just shaken by the news of his death."

"What did you find?"

"I found that one was a successful businessman on Centaurus with a wife and three young children. He was my steady boyfriend at the Academy, but he dropped out before we graduated, and I'm afraid I rather callously didn't understand why he'd do such a thing. Another man I dated after that was still unmarried and working as a reporter at a tiny little news station in Brazil. I never managed to locate a third, and after that I lost interest. So do you think I'm nuts?"

"Not at all. I can understand your need to reestablish certain ties to your past, regardless of how tenuous those ties might be."

"I vowed that from then on I would make certain I didn't lose contact with the people who were important to me, even if I wasn't with them anymore. People like Hikaru, Scotty, Pavel, and Admiral Kirk."

"Are we still discussing old boyfriends?"

"No, we're not! As a matter of fact, I think that's enough on that topic."

"Ah, but I am certain there is still a great deal more ground to cover."

"Oh, maybe. But I know something I'd much rather do than talk." She slid out of her chair and walked around to stand in front of him. Her fingers spread on her hips, she nodded toward the front of his chair. "Adjust that thing so it reclines."

"Like this?" He pulled out the footrest, and the back of the chair lowered.

"Yes, that's it."

Straddling him, she pushed him back in the chair until he was stretched out full-length. He expected her to lower herself on top of him, but she did not, instead simply gazing at him from her perch across his upper thighs.

They were quiet for a long moment. The waves had begun to push their way to the shore, claiming a few more centimeters of sand with every effort. The tide was rising. As he listened to the subdued, rhythmic sound of the water, he looked up at her face. The bright light of the two moons behind her made it difficult to see her features, but he could tell that her lips were parted and her eyes were half-closed.

Finally, he reached up and drew her into his arms.

...

Rubbing her eyes, Saavik rolled over in bed. Why was it so bright in her room? And strangely, the familiar humming of Elizabeth's aquarium was different, more of a whooshing sound than a bubbling...

Remembering suddenly where she was, she sat up in bed and turned toward the large window that stretched across the back of her room. Nyota had closed the flimsy white blinds before she went upstairs last night, but they did little to keep the sun from shining through. Saavik leapt out of bed and opened the blinds, and literally gasped when she saw the sight that awaited her.

The sun was just beginning to creep up over the edge of the horizon, and it sent golden flickers across the water. The beach, which had been marred with a multitude of footprints yesterday, was smooth this morning, and the wide band of flotsam that had been left by the receding tide beckoned like a treasure chest just waiting to be opened.

She pushed up the window, then leaned forward and looked as far to the right as possible. She knew that her mouth was gaping open, but she did not care. No one was around to see her lapse of control, and she decided that the cause was sufficient, anyway. As she looked to the left, though, she frowned, squinted, and leaned farther. What was that? Something moving? Was that a person way out there? Already? Picking up seashells on HER beach?

She yanked her sleeping tunic off over her head and grabbed the first shirt she found. As she pulled it on, she dug around for a pair of shorts and stepped into them, hopping on the way to the door.

She ran through the living area and took the steps two at a time, then slid to a halt at the end of the small upstairs hallway. The bedroom door was closed, and she did not hear anyone moving around or talking. How could Spock and Nyota still be asleep when someone else was about to pick up all of the good shells on the beach?

Pounding on the door, she called out, "Spock! Nyota! The sun is up, and all of the good shells will be gone soon! We must hurry!"

Listening carefully, she detected the sound of rustling covers, then Spock's voice, still rough with sleep.

"One moment, Saavik."

She bounced impatiently on her toes while she heard the soft murmuring of voices, but soon heavy footsteps approached and the door opened to reveal Spock.

"Do you have an emergency, Saavikam?" he asked mildly.

"Yes! There is a man on the beach picking up all of the seashells!"

She brushed past him and ran to Nyota, who was standing beside the rumpled bed with her robe on. "Nyota, if we do not go out there soon, there will not be any good shells left!"

Nyota smoothed Saavik's unruly hair. "Don't worry about it, honey! There will be plenty of shells out there for us, too. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed, and we'll go for a walk."

"You will hurry?"

"Yes. I promise."

Not completely satisfied, Saavik backed toward the door. "Spock, you make sure that Nyota hurries! I did not like that man. He looked like the type of person who would pick up all of the good shells."

"I will ensure that she does not dawdle, Saavikam. You wait downstairs, and we will be there shortly."

"All right!"

Just as Saavik pulled the door closed, she heard Nyota laugh and say something to Spock. Pausing on the stairs, she yelled, "Nyota, you can talk to Spock later!"

Nyota called out, "Yes, ma'am!" After that, all that could be heard were drawers being opened and two sets of feet walking around. Much better!

Jumping from the third step to the floor, Saavik ran back to her room and looked for the man.

...

"What kind is that one, Saavik?"

Placing the last bite of toast in her mouth, Uhura pointed to the tiny red shell that looked like a miniature corkscrew. They'd been out on the beach for over two hours, and she was so famished that this piece of heavy bread with keshaberry preserves tasted like fine gourmet cuisine. She noticed that Spock had helped himself to an unusually large serving of fruit, as well. Saavik, however, was so engrossed in sorting through her basket of seashells that she seemed to have entirely forgotten the food under her nose.

"I will look." Saavik picked up her book and flipped through the pages. "This must be it. It is a 'red hornshell.' That name is illogical. What kind of creature has horns like this?"

Uhura sipped her coffee. "Maybe someone was just exercising their imagination when they named it. It looks like it could be a unicorn's horn to me."

"Perhaps."

Saavik was obviously skeptical, and Uhura grinned at Spock. The little girl's tolerant tone sounded just like him. He raised an eyebrow as if he didn't know why she was looking at him.

"Saavikam." He reached across the table and pushed her plate closer to where she sat. "It is time to eat."

Saavik picked up a piece of fruit with her fingers and popped it into her mouth without looking away from the book.

"This would be a good shell to find." She turned the book so that Uhura could see. On the page was a drawing of a large, pink shell. It reminded Uhura of a balloon with the end tied off.

"That's beautiful. What's it called?"

Saavik frowned as she read the caption. "It is called a 'baby bonnet.' That is illogical, as well."

"I have to agree with you on that one."

"Saavikam, please eat."

Sighing exaggeratedly, Saavik took another bite and addressed Uhura. "When can we go out in the water?"

"Oh, I'd say as soon as you finish eating." She drained her coffee. "Tell you what-how about if Spock and I go put on our swimsuits, and if you're ready by the time we're ready, we can all go out."

Uhura could see from the corner of her eye that Spock had turned to her with an expression of disbelief, but she pretended that she didn't see him.

Saavik looked up at Spock in surprise. "You are going out, too?"

"Actually, I would prefer to watch from the shore."

Uhura frowned. "Now, Spock, you told me that you'd get in the water with us."

"Perhaps later."

She stood and carried her dishes to the kitchen. "You said you would, and I'm going to hold you to it. Besides, look how disappointed Saavik is!"

They both looked at Saavik, who was engrossed in her book again.

"Ah, yes. I can see that she is despondent."

Laughing, Uhura started toward the stairs. "Okay, you win. I'm going to go up and put on my swimsuit. Don't make me wait on you, Saavik!"

...

"Here comes another big one. Be ready to jump!"

Uhura stood in the waist-deep water and waited for the wave to reach them. At the moment, it was nothing more than a far-away ripple, but it was growing steadily, and she knew that it would break before it made it to shore. Next to her, Saavik was crouched in a defensive posture and looked for all the universe like she was getting ready for a fight, her skinny little body tense and her hair flattened on her head.

Trying to watch both the wave and Saavik, Uhura resisted the impulse to hold the little girl's hand so she wouldn't be doused again. Each one of the last three big waves had taken her completely under, but she was determined, and Uhura knew that she'd heartily object to any offer of assistance. So, Uhura simply moved closer so that she could grab her if she lost her footing.

The wave began to crest, little white crinkles sparkling across the top of the swell as it approached them. It was almost here, almost here...

It fell over with a huge roar and thundered down on them, and just as Uhura jumped, she saw Saavik tighten her lips and do the same. This time, Saavik landed on her feet, then turned in amazement and watched the wave roll up to the beach behind them.

Uhura clapped her hands. "You did it, Saavik! Wonderful!"

"Yes. I did it." Nodding tersely, Saavik faced the open water and waited for the next one.

Uhura shook her head. "You know, we're out here because this is supposed to be fun. Aren't you having fun? Just a little bit?"

Saavik cocked an eyebrow just like Spock. "Fun? Fun is illogical. I wish to learn how to jump over the waves so that I can look for shells without being knocked down every few minutes."

"Okay. Well, you continue to learn, and I'll have fun."

Obviously detecting that she was being teased, Saavik frowned and started to reply, but as she turned toward Uhura, she happened to glance up toward the beach.

Hopping up and down, she yelled, "Look, Nyota! Spock is coming out here!"

Uhura turned around, and she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw him. He was wearing swimming trunks, dark gray swimming trunks, and she laughed and waved as he stopped just short of the water and sat on the sand. Saavik immediately started splashing in his direction.

Bracing herself so that a wave wouldn't surprise her from behind, Uhura took a moment to admire him. Damn, but he looked good, sitting there with his forearms resting on his bent knees, his feet flat on the sand in front of him. He was so lean that the trunks rode low on his hips, and out here in the bright sun she could see every wiry muscle and every swirl of dark hair. The olive cast of his skin was very noticeable, too. After a moment, she followed Saavik toward the beach.

Saavik threw herself down on the sand beside him. As Uhura neared, she could hear the breathless commentary.

"...and I was knocked down three times, but the fourth time I jumped and the wave did not knock me down! Did you see me? I could tell that Nyota thought I would fall down again, but I did not! Now I will be ready to find the best shells."

"I saw you, Saavikam. That was very good. While I am certain that your abilities in the water will continue to improve, however, please be cautious. Neither you nor I are strong swimmers, and if you found yourself in difficulty, I am not certain I could assist you adequately."

Uhura sat down on the other side of Spock. "He's right, Saavik. I've been swimming all my life and consider myself a good swimmer, but these waves can be treacherous."

Saavik sighed. "You both worry too much. I will be careful! Can we go back into the water now?"

"You're wearing me out! I'd like to just sit here for a few minutes." Uhura pushed her wet hair away from her face. "You can go out on your own. Just don't go so far."

"I won't!"

Spock watched Saavik run back into the ocean. "She is enjoying herself very much."

"Oh, she sure is. What a whirlwind! Sometimes she stops for just a moment, but it's always like the calm before the storm because I know it's not going to last."

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. "Her energy _is_ rather like an unstoppable force. My life was certainly very ordered until she swept into it and threw everything into disarray."

"But you wouldn't have it any other way."

"I would not." He looked back out at the water for a few moments, then came to his feet. "I believe that I will go out there with her. Do you wish to join us, or would you prefer to rest?"

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Together, they waded into the water.

End chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, chapter 3

Sitting on the floor in front of the sofa, Saavik sorted through the shells. Her collection was growing nicely. She had fifteen shells of perfect to near-perfect quality, and thirty-two others of decent quality. Although some of them were duplicates, she had a good cross-section of types, and she had managed to classify all but the two in her hand.

Spock walked up behind her and turned on the lamp, and she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Spock? I cannot find these two shells in my book."

He sat on the sofa. "Do you wish to use my padd?"

"No, not yet."

She continued to page through her book, and they were quiet for many minutes. Finally, he settled back into the cushions and folded his hands. She could see him from the corner of her eye.

"Saavikam, please tell me how you have been doing with the disciplines. We have not discussed your progress for quite some time."

She didn't look up. "I have been doing fine."

"Fine? That is a rather subjective term. Perhaps you could be more precise."

Putting the two shells to the side, she reached into the basket for her favorite. "I did the first two levels of the k'rith meditations, uh, last week. Or maybe it was the week before that."

He was quiet.

"Very well. I did the first level of k'rith fifteen days ago." She put down the book and glared at him. "But I have been busy! And I am not certain what I did with my firepot. Maybe it is under my bed."

Frowning slightly, he studied her, and she had to fight to keep her stubborn attitude from wilting under his regard. Nyota, who had been sitting on the other end of the sofa, got up and walked to the kitchen without saying anything. Saavik thought about following her, but she knew that Spock wouldn't allow it.

Finally, he said, "There is a candle in a glass container on the kitchen counter." Saavik had heard _that_ voice before-the voice of the teacher. "It has obviously already been burned, so I assume that it is not an ornament. Although it is a poor substitute for a firepot, it will do. Put away your shells and your book, and accompany me."

She scooped up her shells and piled them into the basket, then slid the book underneath it. Moving slowly, she tried her best to remain sullen, but when she saw him pick up the candle and walk toward the stairs, she couldn't help but hurry to catch up with him.

"Where are we going, Spock?"

"Up to the deck. It is dark and quiet, and the repetitive sound of the waves will aid our concentration."

He motioned for her to precede him when they reached the stairs, and she took them two at a time.

"What are we going to do?"

"We will begin with relaxation exercises, then proceed to the mind rules. You will finish by attempting to reach the third level of k'rith. I, of course, will go much deeper."

They walked through the bedroom and onto the deck.

"The third level? That is too much. I have not done that for ages! Uh, I mean-"

She clamped her lips together, but it was too late.

"I see. Then that is all the more reason for us to do it tonight." Kneeling, he placed the candle on the floor and reached into his pocket for the matches from the kitchen cabinet. "Join me, Saavikam."

She sat heavily on the floor. "This will be too hard."

"Then I will assist you."

Cupping his hand around the match, he coaxed the candle into flame, and soon its small light was dancing in the breeze, throwing shadows across his features and drawing her closer despite herself. When the fire burned steadily, he settled back on his haunches and relaxed, watching her. Finally she shifted position until her posture matched his.

"This is not a punishment, Saavikam. While I cannot deny that I am disappointed in your lack of dedication to the disciplines, I know that the neglect is as much mine as yours. You have been living among humans, and I should have predicted that this might happen. It was only earlier today, as I watched you run on the beach, that I realized my error. For that, forgive me."

How could she remain angry in the face of such an admission? She sighed and said, "I will try very hard to do better, Spock."

"That is all I ask." He closed his eyes and continued in Vulcan. "Now. Slow your breathing, Saavikam. Steady your heart rate. The body is but a shell. The mind is All."

She closed her eyes and repeated his words. "The body is but a shell. The mind is All."

They were quiet for several minutes. Finally, he said, "In your mind, picture your hands. Find the chel'ya points. Do you see them?"

"Yes. I see them," she murmured.

"Very good. Focus on them. Channel your energy to the chel'ya points."

She slowly brought her hands together, and within her mind she could see her life-force, running from the very center of her being to her fingertips, crackling between her palms and leaping from her fingers as she rubbed one hand against the other. Even though she could not see Spock, she knew that his hands were steepled and his face was intense with concentration. Someday, she would be able to channel her mental energies so easily, too, but for now she was only a novice and she had to work harder to find them.

"Reach for my mind, Saavikam." His voice was sonorous in her ears. "Touch my thoughts."

She reached across the candle and placed her fingers on the side of his face, and carefully crept into his consciousness. His mind was so large, so powerful, so structured, so familiar. The many, many times they had done this before glowed in the back of her memory, and she had to push back an illogical surge of... something, some unnamed feeling, a vague warmth in her chest... as she recalled how it had been to touch his gentle, sympathetic, civilized mind for the very first time so long ago.

She whispered, "I am with you, Spock."

He sent a small flicker of approval toward her. "Now, I will place a barrier in my mind. What I choose to shield from you is unimportant. Do not concern yourself with that. The purpose of this lesson is for you to observe how the shield goes up. The shape of it, the texture of it. Experience it, Saavikam."

Almost as if someone had drawn a warm cloak over her chel'ya points, he faded away into indistinct fuzziness. She could not see him anymore. He and she had done this many times, and she knew better than to be dismayed at her loss. The ability to accept what is and not struggle to recapture what is not had been a difficult lesson, but one that she had eventually understood. This was not a deprivation, but merely a part of what it meant to be Vulcan. Kaiidth.

Soon, he had withdrawn so far that all she knew was the feel of his skin against her fingertips. Even the energy of his thoughts was gone. She dropped her hands back into her lap and opened her eyes to find him watching her.

"Very good, Saavikam. Now, I will touch your thoughts, and I want you to do the same."

She closed her eyes and prepared for the next lesson.

...

Smoothing her nightgown under her legs, Uhura sat down on the bed with her padd and began to compose a quick message for her friends back on the Lexington. Although she couldn't send it before she left the beach, they had forced her to promise that she'd record a message while she was gone. Maybe she'd have a chance to transmit it from the spaceport so that it would actually beat her back to the ship.

What could she tell them? That she was having a wonderful time with her 'mystery man'? Darn that Carolyn anyway. How had she figured out that this was to be a romantic get-away? And Ravi-what a shameless flirt! Even though she knew that his pursuit of her was nothing more than a never-ending game, you'd still think he might have toned it down when he learned that she was seriously involved with someone. Evidently it had just added fuel to the fire, however, because he hadn't let up once the entire evening before she left. Uhura grinned and shook her head as she remembered how they had all teased her when she wouldn't confess who she was meeting. Oh, if only they knew.

Turning off the padd when she heard Spock walk through the bedroom door, she smiled and came around the bed to meet him.

"I was beginning to wonder if I was going to see you tonight."

"Forgive me if I kept you waiting." He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots. "Saavik and I had an extremely productive session this evening, and I thought it best to continue working as long as I had her attention."

"That's fine." Uhura sat on the bed beside him. "What did you cover?"

"Not only did we review the mind rules she already knew, but I was able to begin introduction of a new one. In addition, she reached the third level of meditation, although it was not easy for her. We have been in her room studying the ecology of this planet for the last thirty-nine minutes. You will be relieved to learn that she has finally discovered the scientific classification of the two shells that had so puzzled her."

Uhura chuckled. "Well, good. We will all rest easier now."

Nodding, he met her eyes briefly, then looked down at the boots in his hands. She followed his gaze and saw that there was nothing remarkable about them; it was obvious from his body language that he had something to say to her, but he was reluctant to bring it up. She waited patiently while he gathered his thoughts.

Finally, he placed the boots neatly on the floor beside the bed and turned toward her. "Nyota, I am in a quandary concerning Saavik. She is maturing rapidly. You pointed that out yourself when we were on Dantria. Soon, she will begin to interact with people who will assume that she is a full-blooded Vulcan. Although I have always encouraged her to choose her own path, it is a fact that people will respond to her according to their own pre-conceived notions. It is also a fact that her life will be much easier if she learns to temper her impulses according to accepted modes of Vulcan behavior."

Uhura nodded but didn't comment. She wasn't sure she liked where he was going with this, but she knew that these words were difficult so she encouraged him to continue.

"I chose the Vulcan way at a very young age," he said, "but I was raised as a Vulcan among Vulcans. Saavik, however, was not given the luxury of such a privileged upbringing, and she has been forced to modify everything she ever knew. The result is that while she learns very quickly what is expected of her, it is not ingrained and she therefore forgets. I do not wish to place rigid restrictions upon her, but yet I..." He frowned and tightened his lips briefly. "I wish to shield her from some of the difficulties that I know lie ahead if she does not conform."

The echo of his own past hurts was obvious in his words. She wanted to ask him what unkindnesses had been forced upon him as a child, what cutting words had been uttered as he struggled to fit in, but instead she simply said, "You know that I want what's best for her, too, Spock."

"Yes. I know. That is why I bring this up. I do not wish to upset you, Nyota, for I know that you are very spontaneous and demonstrative in your affection, but I watched you with Saavik on the beach today, and you are very quick to touch her, whether to hug her or merely to smooth her hair. A Vulcan child is not like a human child. Those gestures that are so important to a human only serve to confuse a Vulcan. A casual touch is not just a casual touch. Saavik's mental abilities are very strong, if somewhat untrained, and she must learn to avoid physical contact whenever possible."

Her heart had seemed to fall farther into her chest with his every word. He was quiet now, watching her intently. She bit her lip and looked away.

"So you're saying that I shouldn't even touch her anymore?"

"Not precisely. If you were to completely withdraw, I am certain that she would notice. She would not understand. I merely ask that you be aware of what I have told you."

Feeling as if she'd been handed some sort of reprieve, she sighed. "Thank you for being honest with me. I'm sure it wasn't easy. You probably wondered how I'd react."

"I did. You are not hurt?"

"Not really. I guess that I'm more concerned for Saavik than anything. I certainly don't want to complicate her life."

"Ah, but it is too late for that. I am afraid that you have already complicated her life immeasurably, as well as mine."

It was obvious that he was trying to lighten the sting of what he'd just told her, and she thought that she'd never loved him more than she did at this moment. As always, he was so considerate of her feelings. She decided that the best way to show her appreciation was to play along.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. In fact, I am often astounded by the extent to which you have complicated my life. It is quite illogical that I would allow it to be so, yet it has happened."

"Hmmm. Then I guess you should just adjust to it the best you can."

"Perhaps so."

She stood and took his hand. "Come with me."

He raised an eyebrow, but did as she asked. Pulling him out on the deck, she was glad to see the small flame still burning in the jar. She had lit it in anticipation of his return, but she had been afraid that the wind might have snuffed it out.

Kneeling by the firepot, she looked up at him. She could feel her nightgown flutter against her thigh as it was caught in the night air. At first, all he did was stand and look at her, but finally he swallowed and knelt across from her without saying a word.

They gazed at one another for a long moment, then lowered their eyes to the flame. As she stared at it, it seemed to swell, to grow, to fill her vision-but paradoxically, she could also see him clearly, his body unmoving except for the barest rising of his chest with each breath, his expression intent as he gazed at the fire.

Although she knew that the heat from the tiny flicker was insignificant, it felt as though it was warming her to her very core. Flames began to race across her nerve endings, shimmering to every corner of her mind and pooling deep in her belly, drawing her forward, causing her to shudder with their burgeoning intensity. She could tell, somehow, that the flames were building for him as well, and without looking away she knew that he had extended his fingers toward her, searching, grasping, reaching...

She held out her hand, and when she felt his hot flesh, she wove her fingers through his and closed her eyes. The flame was huge now, dancing, taunting, burning through her eyelids. Her hand was trembling so violently that he brought his other hand up to hold her, reassuring her that she would not slip away.

Suddenly, a tremendous surge leapt from within her, and as she threw her head back, she felt his hand tighten convulsively on hers. Their minds were twined together as tightly as their fingers. The sensation was almost unbearable in its intensity, so incredibly exhilarating that she thought she might lose herself in her own overwhelmingly raw emotions.

Finally, she took a deep breath and straightened, and he gently released her fingers so that she could pull her hand back into her lap. Her chest was heaving, and as she looked up at him through wide eyes, she could tell that he was struggling to regain his composure, too. She licked her lips and ran her fingers through her hair as he slid over to sit beside her.

"Are you all right, Nyota?" he asked in a choked voice.

She closed her eyes and nodded. When she looked at him again, she whispered, "I thought that it was intense the last time we shared the flame, but it was nothing like this."

"Yes. I know. If you recall, however, this is our first true sharing of the flame. I have always assisted you in the past." He was quiet for a moment as he studied her. "You knew that you could do this."

Smiling gently, she pulled one of his hands free and cradled it between her breasts. "Yes, I did. I've been searching for my flame almost every day since I left the Enterprise. I wasn't certain if I was ready to do it with you, but the candle was here and the time just seemed right. I wasn't expecting it to be like this, though."

"Neither was I."

"Was that the Vulcan equivalent of really good sex?"

"If it was not, I would hesitate to search out what is. I am not certain we would survive the experience."

She laughed and kissed him lightly. "Oh, but what a way to go!"

"Indeed."

He blew out the flame, then stood and pulled her up with him.

"Come. It is time for us to go to bed."

End chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, chapter 4

Saavik draped her towel around her shoulders, then followed Spock and Nyota back up to the beach house. Although a single star was just beginning to twinkle over the ocean, the very bottom part of the sky on the other side of the little house was still a wonderful combination of oranges and reds. It wouldn't last long, though. The orange parts would probably be gone by the time they walked through the door.

She sighed as she dug her toes in the sand. Why did this day have to end? Even though today had been just like yesterday, and yesterday had been just like the day before, she knew that she would never, ever grow tired of the ocean. Tomorrow she would have to get on a shuttle and leave! Someday she would live in a house on the beach, and her children would get to explore the ocean every single day. They would have all the very best shells, too.

Nyota waited for her to catch up. "It's hard to believe that our vacation's almost over. The Lexington seems like it's a lifetime away, but this time tomorrow I'll be back there, probably sitting in my quarters dreaming of the beach."

Saavik pushed wet hair away from her face. "Can we come back sometime, Nyota?"

"We'll go to a beach again, I promise. Maybe not this one, but somewhere."

As they approached the house, Saavik saw that Spock was standing at the top of the steps watching them. Nyota looked up at him.

"Spock, I just promised Saavik that she and I would go to a beach again someday. Do you want to come along?"

"I would find that agreeable." He opened the door and ushered them past. "I have always been fascinated with Greek history, but I have never been to Greece. That is on Earth, Saavikam, and it is well-known for its beaches."

"Do they have shells?"

"I am certain that they do. Here, allow me to take those." He gathered their wet towels and walked toward the stairs. "I will drape them over the deck rail. They should be dry enough to pack by morning."

"I am hungry," Saavik said to Nyota.

"Let's see what we have." Barefoot, Nyota padded into the kitchen, but leaned back out of the doorway before Spock made it to the steps. "Oh, Spock?"

"Yes?"

"Could you bring down my little audio unit? I feel like listening to some music."

"Of course."

"Thanks!" She opened the cooler door. "How about these grapes?"

"Those would be good," Saavik replied.

Saavik stood by Nyota's elbow as she washed them. "What are we going to listen to, Nyota? Can we listen to Debussy?"

"That's an excellent idea." Popping a grape into her mouth, she pointed to the cabinet. "Could you hand me a bowl?"

Saavik pulled down the bowl. "Can we play cards, too?"

"Another excellent idea. You get the cards, and I'll bring the grapes."

Saavik ran to her room and retrieved Nyota's deck of cards. The two of them had started a game of War last night that went on and on. It had lasted so long that Spock even came in to watch. Finally, Saavik had captured both of Nyota's aces in a single battle and went on to win the game. It was very exciting. Maybe they could have another game like that tonight.

She flopped down on the floor next to Nyota just as Spock returned with the audio unit.

Pulling off a handful of grapes, Saavik asked, "Can we play War again?"

"I suppose, but if it goes longer than twenty minutes we're going to stop and count our cards. You need to get to bed at a decent time tonight." She picked up her audio unit and keyed a few commands, then placed it back beside them. "There. The perfect music for a vacation at the beach."

Saavik stopped shuffling the cards as she listened to the faint sounds of deep, rumbly string instruments. She looked up at Nyota, who was watching her with a smile on her face.

"What music is this, Nyota? Is it Debussy?"

Nyota nodded. "Debussy wrote a symphony called 'La Mer.' The Sea. This is the last movement, 'Dialogue of the Wind and Sea.' Great title, isn't it? It's even better in French: 'Dialogue du vent et de la mer.'"

"It is about the wind and the sea talking to one another? That is illogical. The wind and the sea do not talk. They are merely there. The wind blows and the sea, uh, makes waves. They-"

"Saavik!" Nyota turned off the music. "Just listen to it! Use your imagination! Try to hear the waves as they come and go, and the wind as it whirls above. It's not as if Debussy intended for you to hear a real conversation. He was just trying to show how the wind and the sea, two great forces of nature, have a constant give-and-take, an exchange back and forth, an interaction."

"Oh. I am sorry. I will try very hard to use my imagination this time." She looked over at Spock, who had taken a seat nearby and was watching them with an amused expression on his face. Scowling at him, she said, "If I have to use my imagination, Spock does too!"

"I will, Saavikam. Please proceed."

Nyota touched a key, and the hushed sounds began again. The music was very dark and subtle, slightly louder just for an instant but immediately dying back to near nothingness, then surging again and fading away. Saavik had already noticed the low strings, but now she identified the growling of a tympani, perhaps, and a brief participation by a couple of wind instruments.

"It is very mysterious," she said.

"Yes, it is. Just like the sea. Can you hear the waves?"

"Yes! I can."

Saavik concentrated on the music again. As she listened, another voice was added to the music, an odd, muted, tinny noise, and it sounded like it was very far away. The other instruments continued to rumble underneath.

"That melody is something new. Is it a fish swimming in the ocean? A very big fish that is way out in the water?"

Nyota laughed softly. "You have a wonderful imagination. It's not a fish, though. Listen and think about it some more."

Saavik pursed her lips and frowned as the melody was picked up by a louder instrument. It sounded like it was getting nearer, flowing and swirling very close.

"The wind!" She sat up in excitement. "That is the wind!

The music became more and more active, but the motion suddenly calmed and was replaced by smooth blocks of sound. It was very pretty, still mysterious but not so dark. From far away again, she heard that melody. This time, though, it was very sweet, not sad like it was before.

Nyota asked, "If the wind and the sea were alive, what would they be doing right now?"

"Uh, the sea is moving back and forth. It changes constantly, but yet it never changes. After all, it is water and it must stay as it is."

Nyota nodded encouragingly, so Saavik continued.

"The wind comes from far away, and as it gets closer the sea wants it to stay. Because it is the wind, though, it cannot stop, just as the sea cannot go."

"That's wonderful, Saavik! Maybe the wind and the sea yearn to be together. What do you think the sea is saying to the wind?"

Saavik became animated. "As the wind begins to go somewhere else, the sea tells it to slow down and come back, but the wind is always moving so it does not listen. Well, maybe it tries to listen, but that does not matter."

The music pulsed, grew, became busy, and there was the melody again! It was beautiful! It stopped... almost... but resumed, and more layers were added, it was getting louder, everything was happening now...

Sitting straight, Saavik looked over her head and tried to picture the sky over the beach. "I think that the wind is also swirling toward the sun. Maybe it does not know which way to go. Can you hear the sun? It is also calling the wind. It wants the wind to push away the clouds so that its heat can warm the sea, but the wind is busy and cannot stop long enough to let the clouds get out of the way."

With a sudden glorious chord, the drum boomed again and the music ended.

Saavik blinked. "It ended very differently than it began. Do you think that the sun finally lured the wind away? Or did the clouds become so dense that the wind just gave up?"

Nyota picked up the cards. "I don't know. I've always pictured a storm brewing over the ocean, and when the music suddenly becomes bright at the end, the storm has ended. I like your idea of the sun better, though. Maybe the sun came through the clouds, and the wind is happy because it finally joined the sun and the sea. What do you think, Spock?"

They both turned toward Spock, who said, "I believe that Debussy chose to resolve his dissonant harmonic progressions with a major chord, demonstrating finality and leaving his audience with an uplifting emotion. It was a device he often used."

Snorting, Nyota began to deal the cards. "Well, if we were going to have a contest for the best imagination, I know who wouldn't win."

Saavik couldn't resist gloating. "I have a good imagination! Can we hear it once more?"

"With pleasure."

The low strings rumbled again as they neatened their stacks of cards and began to play.

...

Breathing deeply of the sea air, Uhura looked down as the water momentarily surrounded her feet before retreating again. The sky was very dark and immense around them, and the beach was shrouded in shadows thrown by the light of the two moons.

She tried not to splash Spock as she sloshed through the water. Although she had begun their walk with a shawl tied around her hips, the edges of it had quickly became soaked, so she had tossed it up onto the beach near their house and now wore only her swimsuit. As a matter of fact, she had hardly worn anything other than a swimsuit their entire stay. Shaking her head, she thought about all of the unworn clothes that were still folded neatly in her suitcase, right there with the single one-piece suit she'd brought on their trip.

"How far do you wish to walk, Nyota?"

"Oh, I don't know." She scanned the horizon in front of them. "Maybe to the big rocks? I promised Saavik that we wouldn't go too far away from the house, even though she's so sleepy she won't miss us."

"That would be an adequate distance."

Sighing, she looked up at the sky. "I'm like Saavik. I don't want this vacation to end. Three days just weren't enough."

"It was rather brief."

"I'm so glad that our trip to London will be longer. A full ten days!"

He regarded her cautiously. "I need to talk to you about that, Nyota."

Halting, she grasped his forearm. "Don't tell me that you can't go!"

"I can go. I may have to shorten the trip by two days, however. The Enterprise has tentatively been assigned to study the gravitational anomalies on Etridian Six, and of course I must be present for that."

"Oh! That's not so bad. Three days for travel and five days to see London should be enough." She started walking again. "We'll just have to be picky about how we use our time. Did you want to try to see any of the outlying sights there? Windsor or Stonehenge? Anyplace in Wales?"

"An article was published in the 'Terran Journal of Archaeology' about a new excavation at Bath that has shaken the archaeological community. It would appear that evidence of a second temple has been uncovered. Although I am uncertain as to whether it is open to the public, I would like to tour the site."

"That would be fun."

"I will determine who is in authority at the dig and attempt to arrange it. What about you? Is there anything in particular you wish to do while we are there?"

"If we have a chance before my parents leave, I'd like to go down to Chinatown and have a big meal, one of those Chinese dinners where everyone sits around the table for hours while course after course is served."

"Do you expect your parents to remain after the graduation is over?"

"No, not really, but they're trying to work it out so that they can. I received a message from Mother a couple of days ago, and she said that my sister's 'little celebration' is quickly mushrooming out of control. Evidently, Milele told her son that he could invite some friends, but of course his friends' families are coming in for the graduation, so she ended up inviting them, too. Even though it's still two months away, Mother said that Milele's ready to throw her hands in the air and scrap the whole thing." Uhura chuckled. "Deep down, though, I know she really enjoys it all. She's always been good at organizing parties, and this one will come off without a problem and everyone will rave about what a wonderful time they had."

"Does she still intend to entertain everyone at her home?"

"As far as I know. Really, as long as the weather remains mild, they'll be able to use the garden in the back, and they'll have enough room. If it rains, it's definitely going to get crowded in her house. Oh, look at this." Waiting for the wave to subside, she bent and picked up a small shell. "This is a nice one."

He moved close to examine it. "I have not seen a shell like that in Saavik's collection."

"We'll take it back for her. Can you put it in your pocket?"

"Of course."

She handed it to him, and they resumed their leisurely pace down the beach. The rocks seemed far away, but she knew that they would reach them all too soon.

End chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, chapter 5

Spock looked ahead to the large rock formation and estimated that they would reach their destination in another one point two minutes. It was obvious that Nyota wished to delay their return, however, so he slowed his step yet again. Although he was unaccustomed to walking at such an inefficient pace, he was pleased to do so. There was much to observe as they walked, and he did not want to miss any of it.

Glancing down at his feet, he spotted a crab as it scuttled across their path. Ghostly in the low light, it vanished so smoothly down its burrow that he could almost believe he had seen an apparition. To his left, if he examined the water closely he could detect the darting shadows of tiny fish, pushed to the beach by the waves and trying to escape the violent currents.

He clasped his hands loosely behind his back. "The sheer diversity of life in a marine environment never ceases to amaze me. Humans have ventured into the furthest reaches of space, yet do not know all there is to know about what is underneath their own seas."

"It is pretty incredible, I guess. I've been going to the ocean for as long as I can remember and I tend to take it for granted, but you must have been astounded the first time you saw something like this."

"I was, and I must admit that my awe has hardly diminished through the years. To attempt to comprehend the immensity of a body of water like this... it almost escapes me. Nothing is so precious to a Vulcan as water, not food nor riches nor even the knowledge of the ancients." They had reached the rocks so he slowed to a stop, still looking out over the water. "It is hoarded and held close, the reason for wars and betrayals in ancient times. That it could be abundant enough to support an entire ecosystem amazes me still."

He was silent for a moment before facing her. "Are you ready to turn back?"

Placing her hand lightly on his chest, she asked, "Can we stay here for a little while? It's so peaceful away from the houses like this. I'd like to just sit in the sand and watch the waves."

"I am willing to do that."

They settled themselves on the warm sand, just far enough from the ocean that the waves would barely lap at their toes. Still lost in his thoughts about the massive body of water, he did not realize at first that Nyota was studying the beach behind them.

He turned to determine what she was looking at. "What do you see?"

"Nothing and nobody. Do you want to go swimming?"

"If you do not mind, I would prefer to stay here. Do not let my lack of participation stop you."

"That's all right. I'll be back in a little bit."

As she jumped up and ran into the water, he realized that he was sitting on Saavik's shell. He winced and pulled it out of his pocket. It was quite unusual, shaped like the small hornshell she so treasured, but covered with tiny spikes-

He was startled when something landed across his hands and fell to the ground. Picking it up, he shook the sand off and looked closer. It would appear to be... a swimsuit top. An instant later, the other half of the swimsuit landed in his lap, and he looked up just in time to see a flash of brown skin vanish into the waves.

Most intriguing. Both eyebrows high, he came to his feet and waited for another glimpse. She was nowhere to be seen, however. She was a good swimmer and could remain underwater longer than he would have thought possible... There she was. She had surfaced out beyond the breakers and was swimming confidently in a steady crawl. Although the darkness and the rough water partially obscured his vision, he could make out the very firm, rounded portion of her body that was lighter in color because it had not been exposed to the sun.

He stood unmoving as he watched her continue away from the shore. She did not show any sign of slowing, and he began to experience a slight uneasiness at the distance between them. Before he could become overly concerned, however, she reversed direction and started back, changing to a smooth breaststroke. Perhaps she would try the backstroke next. Amused at himself, he raised an eyebrow at the thought.

She vanished under the water again, and he scanned the area, curious as to where she would resurface. He had last seen her out just beyond the breakers, but she did not appear to be there anymore. Maybe she had changed direction again.

Suddenly, he realized that she was walking out of the ocean a short distance in front of him, her naked body lush as it rose from the water. A tremendous wave crested behind her, temporarily shrouding her in its silvery whiteness, but she did not change her slow pace. Her expression was dark and seductive as she approached, and she looked very much like a nymph from the ancient legends of her own planet, a mythical creature that emerged from the water only to enslave the mortal man who was unfortunate enough to be captured by its beguiling loveliness.

He dropped the swimsuit when he realized that she was walking unwaveringly in his direction, holding his eyes in a manner that did not allow him to look away. He had not even noticed that he was aroused, but suddenly his erection strained against the front of his swimming trunks, and he had to swallow past the desire that tightened his chest before he could take a normal breath.

She trailed through the shallow waves and pressed herself against him, meeting his lips and tongue with an eagerness that belied her languid movements. Except for a gasp at the sudden contact of her body against his, he did not allow himself to react to her cold wetness when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight. She twined her hands up into his hair as he spread his fingers against her back, and the water ran down between them in tiny rivulets, making a path between her breasts, meandering across his belly, slipping down his thighs.

The ocean crept up around their ankles for a brief moment, sliding away with a gentle tug that left their feet buried in the sand. It happened again, again, again, as they kissed, and finally she had to shift her stance, moving her groin against his and causing him to groan at the change in pressure.

Snaking his hand between their bodies, he reached beyond her damp pubic hair and found warmth, an oasis in the midst of the chill. She moved against his fingers, sliding her own hand close to his, and she pushed down his trunks in the front. He had not noticed the cool breeze before, but suddenly the wind was uncomfortable on his exposed flesh, and he felt the urge to seek warmth, her warmth, to bury himself within her...

He stopped himself just as he pressed his glans against the soft entrance to her body.

"Nyota."

"Yes, yes..." Her voice was so soft that he could barely separate it from the murmuring of the ocean behind her.

"We should return to our room before we go any further."

"I know. You're right. Let's go quickly. I don't want to wait any longer."

He released her reluctantly, and she scampered up the beach to retrieve her swimsuit from where the waves had deposited it. Adjusting his clothing, he realized that the undertow had buried him so deep that the sand was above his ankles. It had not even occurred to him to wonder how he could have entered her so easily while they were standing. He was tempted to ask her to come back-the difference in their heights had never been so conveniently neutralized-but he knew that the setting was not sufficiently private for them to continue as they were.

When he turned, she was pulling up the lower half of her swimsuit. He fastened the top for her, and they started quickly back toward the house.

...

She was deep, so deep. Her mind surrounded him, soothing and all-encompassing, and her body enveloped him, welcoming him and drawing him into its depths. Her arms were strong around his back as he plunged into her, again and again. Her legs were smooth against his hips as she rocked with him, and she moaned softly and murmured his name, over and over as the tension began to swell within them.

Arching her back, she pushed up against him and cried out, and suddenly he was swept away, sailing with her on a wave of sensation, a huge surge cresting inside him and bursting into her mind and her body, lifting them to incomparable heights before plunging them back into the soft, warm bed where they lay tangled together.

He panted, his muscles limp and uncooperative. After a long moment, he pulled his hand out from underneath her buttocks and propped himself on his elbows, resting his forehead against hers while he waited for his heart rate to slow. His eyes were closed, but he knew without looking that her head would be tilted back slightly and her lips would be parted as she struggled to bring her own physiological reactions back under control. He had been concerned that the break in their foreplay would diminish their desire, but instead it had only served to make them desperate for one another, and they had come together with as much force as the mighty storm they had witnessed far out over the ocean yesterday afternoon.

Finally, she licked her lips and brought her hands to the sides of his face. He opened his eyes to find her looking up at him.

"Mmmm..." she said huskily. "That was so good."

He kissed her lightly. "Yes. It was. Although I would not wish to walk such a distance between foreplay and consummation often, it was most effective this time."

"You know, I would have really liked to do it out on the beach. Maybe someday we can find a place where there's no one around but the two of us, and we can make passionate love right there in the sand. And in the middle of the day, if we want!"

He studied her for a moment. "There is quite a bit of sand on Vulcan."

Laughing, she said, "That's not what I meant, but it's a nice idea. If I wouldn't fry to a crisp in the first five minutes, that is. Do you need to get off your elbows?"

"Now that you mention it, yes, I do."

Situating himself beside her with his hand on her stomach, he closed his eyes briefly, then opened them to discover that she was watching him with a gentle smile on her lips. He could not decide if she was pleased or amused.

He raised both eyebrows. "Yes?"

She rolled onto her side and propped her head on her hand. "You're so good in bed. It just, uh, made me think about the conversation we had our first night here. About my old boyfriends. I cannot believe that I did all the talking and didn't ask you about the people from your past."

"You refer to women with whom I had a 'romantic' relationship?"

"Yes. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but I'm really curious."

Rolling onto his back, he thought of his past entanglements. While there had not been many, the memory of each was associated with a certain degree of discomfort. Speaking of them would be difficult. Indeed, he had never spoken of them to anyone before. Although his first impulse was to refuse, however, he was surprised to understand that he would not object to speaking of them now. Perhaps it was because of his extremely relaxed state. At any rate, before he had even planned exactly what he was going to say, he began to talk.

"When we were on Sarpeidon, Dr. McCoy and I were sent back to that planet's ice age through the accidental use of a time portal. Wearing only our standard issue uniforms, we were in serious danger of freezing to death when a cloaked figure appeared in the snow and beckoned for us to follow. Truly, I thought that I was hallucinating, but somehow I stayed on my feet, and soon we found ourselves in a warm cave."

Pausing to see how she was taking this, he wondered why he had chosen to tell this story first. It was chronologically out of sequence. Perhaps of his painful memories, this one was the least painful.

"Go on," she murmured.

"The figure in the fur cloak was a woman, a young woman. Her name was Zarabeth, and she was exiled from her people. She had lived alone for many years and was overjoyed to finally have companionship. She welcomed us into her home and gave us food and drink. The climate being arctic, there was no vegetation, and all she had to offer was meat. At first, I was repulsed, but eventually I ate the meat. I told myself that it was because I could not allow myself to starve to death, but soon I began to act atypically in other ways. I was not thinking rationally. I became emotional, violent even. I threatened McCoy. Of course, you have surmised what took place between me and her."

"You had sex?"

"Yes. It was Dr. McCoy who finally realized what was happening to me. We had traveled back so far in time that the Vulcans of that era were uncivilized and primitive. Warlike. Emotional. I had become one of them."

Her eyes were big. "What was it like?"

"It is difficult to describe, for I had no previous frame of reference, and I could not comprehend my behavior afterward. I found it confusing, definitely, but at the time I also thought it liberating. Of course, the person who was actually 'liberated' was not me, but a version of me who ceased to exist the moment we left the planet."

She shivered. "Somehow, I can't imagine you like that. Not even some other version of you. Wild and out of control."

He frowned, disturbed at her words. Even though his experience on Sarpeidon was nothing like pon farr, she very well could be describing pon farr if her comment were taken out of context. He switched to a different story.

"There was another woman, a woman with whom I had worked many years ago on Earth, a botanist. She expressed an interest in me, but I rebuffed her advances. I was betrothed to T'Pring and was not free to pursue her even had I been interested, which I was not. Or so I maintained."

"Did anything ever happen between you two on Earth?"

"No. Not on Earth. But we met again six years later on Omicron Ceti Three."

"Oh." She was very still, obviously filled with her own memories of Omicron Ceti Three. Finally, she said, "She was one of the colonists? What was her name?"

"Leila Kalomi."

"Leila Kalomi? Spock, you and Leila Kalomi?"

"You met her?"

Nyota nodded. "The colonists didn't have a communications specialist, so I helped her and Elias Sandoval rebuild their subspace radio while we were en route to Starbase Twenty Seven. She was a wonderful person, very intelligent and very nice."

"Yes, she was. And she was certainly too nice to have been treated as I treated her. Under the influence of the spores, I decided that I..."

His words came back to taunt him. _I love you. I can love you._

"...that I had 'feelings' for her. She was very happy, and we became intimate. Of course, once I was free of the spores, I reversed my decision and told her that we had no future together. I can only hope that she has forgiven me over time."

"Spock." She waited until he turned to her. "I'm sure that she understood. Those spores made all of us do things we normally wouldn't have done. I know that I'm not proud of the way I acted."

"Did you tell someone that you loved them, only to discard them later?" he retorted bitterly. "Someone who had been nothing but kind and patient, someone who had loyally maintained strong feelings and thought that those feelings were finally reciprocated, someone who deserved much better?"

Nyota didn't answer as she gazed at him, and of course there was no response that she could give. Unable to bear the compassion in her eyes, he looked away. "That was not my finest moment."

"Do you know where she is now?"

He slowly shook his head. "Not definitively, no. I assume that she is still with the other colonists, having successfully rebuilt her life on their new world."

They were quiet for several minutes as he thought about what he had just told her. Surprisingly, although the words had been difficult, it seemed that the weight of both memories had lessened in the sharing.

"Of course," he continued, "I will never be able to escape the knowledge of T'Pring's whereabouts, no matter how greatly I may wish to avoid her. Our families are too intertwined, our backgrounds too similar, to allow me to pretend that I have forgotten about her."

"Oh? You still think about her?" It was obvious that she was deliberately maintaining a casual manner.

He forced his tone to match hers. "You must understand that our bond was an integral part of me from the time I was seven years old until the bond was broken twenty-eight years later. I carried her with me every moment of my life, waking or sleeping, near her or thousands of light-years away, until suddenly she was no longer there."

_Until suddenly she was torn away from me, violently and forcefully, a jagged rip in the most primal structures of my mind. There was a time when I desired her more than anything, more than life or career or even you, but she was taken from me in my moment of greatest need_. He remembered Nyota's comment of just minutes before. _A time when I was wild and out of control_. Nyota had shuddered as she said that.

Unable to sort out his thoughts, he looked over to see that she was watching him. He could not read her expression. Hurt? Confusion? Compassion again? Suddenly, all he wished to do was erase the uncertainty from her eyes.

Pushing himself onto his side, he brushed her cheek with his fingertips. "Yes, Nyota. I do think of her still, but not with any longing or affection. She was merely a fixture in my mind, and the severance of our bond was akin to an amputation. The offending limb may no longer serve a useful purpose and may most likely cause further damage if not removed, but once it is gone it is missed. It is you I want. She was ice, glittering but cold, and in the end I discovered that I did not know her, and that I did not even wish to know her. But I could devote my life to learning about you and still feel that the search was incomplete."

Her eyes glistening, she blinked and caught his fingers in her own. "You told me two nights ago that you were going to have to revise your perception of romance, but I think you're doing just fine. That's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me."

"It is merely the truth, nothing more."

She kissed him gently. "And that's one of the reasons I love you so much. I know that you mean it. Any man can string together pretty words. Why, I've probably heard prettier words, but without sincerity they're as empty as that shell we found on the beach tonight."

Allowing himself just the ghost of a smile, he tightened his fingers against her own, then rolled onto his back and drew her close. Soon, her breathing slowed, and he knew she was asleep.

End chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Dialogue of the Wind and Sea, chapter 6

Pulling the covers up around her neck, Uhura gradually realized that a tiny bit of light was filtering through her eyelids. She looked over her shoulder at the big windows across the back of the room. The pale pink sky above the deck was delicately tinged with the tiniest amount of yellow and blue, and she smiled sleepily at the beautiful combination of colors. It looked just like a painting by Monet. Maybe those uncovered windows weren't so bad, after all. When she'd first seen them, she'd been concerned that the morning sun coming up over the ocean would wake them too early, but that hadn't been a problem because Saavik had roused them at the crack of dawn every day. She hadn't started banging on the door yet this morning, though. Maybe today she'd sleep in.

Uhura settled back onto the pillow and looked at the sleeping Vulcan beside her. He was stretched out on his stomach, facing her, with the sheet over his shoulders and just the tips of his fingers visible near his chin. His features were relaxed and unguarded, and she realized with a start that this was the first time she'd ever been able to observe him sleeping in daylight. In nearly a year and a half, he had awakened before her every single time.

Resisting the urge to smooth his hair, she was filled with a sudden possessive yearning for this complicated, beautiful man. Was it possible to actually love someone so much that it hurt? Is that why her chest was tight and her eyes were burning right now? Last night, when he'd surprised her by actually agreeing to talk about the women from his past, she'd seen a side of him he had never shown her before. She knew that it had been difficult for him to adjust to life around emotional beings, and she knew that even though he would never deliberately be hurtful, sometimes he had trod on the feelings of others. But she never realized how deep the pain and regret really ran for some of the mistakes he had made.

Without warning, a raucous bird swooped by their window and chased away the little birds on the railing with its loud squawking. Spock opened his eyes to find her watching him, and he regarded her for a long moment, his expression soft with the remnants of sleep.

She smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Nyota. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did." She glanced at the window. "Look outside. It's going to be another beautiful day."

He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently rolled her onto her other side, then molded himself to her back. His breath tickling her ear, he said, "Do you think that Saavik will to allow us to remain in bed?"

She snuggled back against him. "If she comes up here, we can always tell her to go pack or something."

"That would actually be a reasonable request."

They watched the sky as the pinks and blues were gradually replaced by a clear pale lavender. He was hot, so hot against her back, and they were still for so long that she felt sleep begin to reclaim her. Just as her thoughts drifted away, however, his fingers tightened carefully on her upper arm, and a moist heat brushed her shoulder in the instant before his teeth raked slowly across her skin.

Shivering, she murmured, "Oh... Spock."

As his hand crept down her arm and slipped underneath her elbow, she felt a stirring against her backside. Twisting in his arms, she faced him, running her hands over his chest and sliding her leg up his thigh until her knee rested on his hip. Their movements were lazy, the sensations deliciously blurred by drowsiness, and she tilted her pelvis so that she could rub herself against him. Mmmm... It felt so good, his hardness sliding against her softness, his heat slick with her own wetness. He shifted position slightly and reached between her legs, and the next time she bore down on him, he slipped easily into her depths.

Leaning forward, he kissed her, a long, lingering kiss that was unbroken by the rhythmic motion of their bodies. His hand on her lower back guided her in this ancient dance, and the next thing she knew his other hand was on her face, his fingers seeming to bore down to the very center of her being. Her mind opened to welcome the heat that diffused through her thoughts like a slow, all-consuming fire.

Gradually, she became aware that her sleepiness was burning away, like a haze vanishing on a hot summer morning. In its place grew a burgeoning sense of urgency, and she saw through the link that he felt it too. Although their lips still touched, he broke the kiss, concentrating on delving deeper, ever deeper into her mind and her body. She moved with him, drawing him in, thrusting, pumping...

Smashing her lips against his own to muffle her cries, she felt herself fly away, soaring, floating, and an instant later he was there, too, his thoughts shattering into a million tiny fragments and shimmering through her mind. His brilliance filled her, hot filaments stabbing her to the core, and she held him tight until the brightness had faded to a bearable glow.

Finally, she whispered, "What a great way to start the day."

"I will not disagree with that statement." He ran his fingers lightly across her shoulder. "I find, however, that I am much less inclined now to rise-"

He was interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps thundering through the living area and up the stairs.

"Spock! Nyota! We slept too late! Can we go out to the beach now?"

Meeting Uhura's eyes conspiratorially, Spock said, "Saavikam, if you pack quickly, we will have time for a walk on the beach before we go."

She had already started back down the steps as she yelled, "I can pack very quickly! I will call you when I am done."

They gazed at one another until Uhura sighed and said, "I guess we'd better get up. It won't take her more than ten minutes to throw her things into a suitcase."

"I estimate that she will be back in eight point three."

She kissed him, then rolled over to her side of the bed. The sun had ascended just above the edge of the deck, and when she sat up it almost blinded her. The sky was a beautiful shade of purple, blending almost seamlessly with the ocean, and she shielded her eyes so that she could look out at the water.

The mattress shifted as Spock pushed himself to his feet on his side of the bed, but she didn't hear him cross the floor as she had expected. She glanced over her shoulder to see that he was also gazing out the window.

Almost as if he were speaking to himself, he said, "I have heard that the beaches in Greece are most impressive."

She grinned. "I guess we'll have to find out."

"Yes."

He nodded and turned to prepare for the day. After a moment, she rose to do the same.

...

Reaching under the seat for her carry-on bag, Saavik pulled out the shiny, brand-new book that Nyota had found at the spaceport, and turned to the page on hornshells. There it was, her favorite drawing in the whole book. And the red color was even exactly right! Evidently, the colors in the book at the beach house had faded, because these pictures were much nicer.

The woman in the seat next to her leaned over and said, "That's an interesting shell! I wonder if they're really so bright."

Saavik glanced at the woman's face. The woman had tried several times to talk to her, but she had said silly things like what a pretty little girl Saavik was, and wasn't it scary sometimes to go into warp in a shuttle? This was the first sensible thing the woman had said.

Saavik held the book over so that the woman could see. "This is a hornshell. I found one, and the colors in this picture are accurate."

The woman smiled. "You found one? How exciting! Have you been to the beach?"

Raising an eyebrow, Saavik refrained from pointing out that she would hardly have found one somewhere else. "Yes. I am just returning to Gamma Cygnus after three days on Relan Four."

"I've heard that the beaches there are very nice. It's a long way from Gamma Cygnus, though. Did you travel all this distance by yourself?"

Sitting straighter, Saavik said, "Yes, I did. Well, I traveled almost all the way by myself. Spock was with me on the flight between Sarellia and Relan Four, but I did the rest by myself."

"That's really something. You must be very brave."

Saavik shrugged. "It was not a major undertaking."

"Is Spock your friend?"

"He is my teacher. And my guardian. He is the first officer on the Enterprise so I cannot live with him anymore, but I see him relatively often."

"That's good."

The woman settled back in the seat and picked up her padd again, but Saavik had warmed to her topic and did not wish to stop talking. She flipped to a new page in her book and held it over for the woman to see.

"This shell is called a 'baby bonnet.' Nyota agreed with me that the name was illogical. Why would a baby wear a bonnet like that? It would restrict the baby's circulation or obscure the baby's vision, depending on the way the garment was worn. She said that it looked more like a balloon, although I have never seen a balloon so I cannot judge."

"And who is Nyota? Is she a friend?"

"Yes. She is my friend. She is Spock's friend, too." Saavik lowered her voice. "His very good friend."

"I see."

Suddenly remembering that it was supposed to be a secret, Saavik's eyes grew big and she pressed her lips together. She picked up her book and pretended to be engrossed in it, and finally the woman turned back to her padd.

She flipped to the hornshell picture again, but after a moment her eyes drifted away from the page as she thought about the day. When the announcement had been made that it was time for Nyota to board her shuttle this morning, she and Spock had looked at one another for a very long time. Neither of them had said anything, and Saavik had begun to wonder if he might pull her into his arms and kiss her just like the people in those stupid holovids Rosa always watched. Finally, though, they simply pressed their fingers together, and Nyota turned to leave. Of course, it would have been very unusual for Spock to act like that, but Nyota probably would have liked it. Personally, Saavik was immensely relieved that he did not-it would have been very embarrassing.

But it might have been very interesting, too.

Spock and Nyota were going to Earth together in approximately two months. It would be nice if they took her with them, for she had been to Earth only once and would especially like to see London, but maybe it was better that the two of them spend some time alone together. It would allow them the opportunity to make decisions about their future. Perhaps they would realize what was so clear to Saavik, and decide to get married. It was obviously the logical thing to do.

And no one could argue with logic.

End part three of Fire, Wind, and Water: The Debussy Suite

The next story in this series is Bells Through the Leaves


End file.
